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Now it’s my fault my students are bored at lunch.
Filed Under Behaviour Management, maintaining a safe
Now, I’m being blamed because my students are bored at lunch time. Some of my students in my grade nine math class are avid skateboarders. So avid in fact that they insist on bringing their skateboards to class and skating down the aisles when the mood strikes them or trying to perfect the latest maneuver by jumping up and twisting themselves and their skateboards in the air in the space between the desks. Using skateboards in class is dangerous. I’m definitely not amused by this and have told my students repeatedly no one, no one is to bring a skateboard to class. Enough.
Thursday morning before lunch two of my students brought their skateboards to class despite being told not to do this, and about half-way through the class a scuffle broke out over one of the skateboards. I took both skateboards and put them behind my desk and told the owners they could have them back at the end of the day. I was not going to have someone hurt because of the skateboards. Of course the students didn’t want to wait to the end of the day to get their skateboards back. They wanted to use them at lunch time. When I stood firm, one of the students told me “It’s going to be your fault that we’re going to be bored at lunch”. Go figure!
Image thanks to ichaz
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9 Responses to “Now it’s my fault my students are bored at lunch.”
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I can relate. I teach 6th graders and I know what I am enduring on a day-to-day basis. I also know that the level of self-indulgence is probably even greater in high school than it is in middle and elementary schools.
One of the issues has to do with cell phones use and the other with sagging pants. The students know that their cell phones are supposed to left in their lockers. They are well aware that if the cell phone rings in the classroom it will be confiscated and their parents will have to come to the school to retrieve it. They still bring their cell phones into the classroom. At times, the phone would ring in during istructional time. In spite of all that, some parents even side with their children, which make it almost impossible to enforce the rules when the students know that they have their parents support when they misbehave.
At my school, sagging pants is one of the disciplinary issues that we are dealing with the most. Many students think that they are not “cool” unless they pull up their pants for every step they make. It is having a ripple effect on school discipline and students learning across the nation. I am fortunate to have a school principal who stays on top of this situation. The problem could have been exacerbated if was not for the principal’s leadership and commitment to these issues.
This is ridiculous. In kindergarten and the primary grades there are rules of not bringing toys to school unless it is show n tell day, this should also apply. If students use their skateboards as a mode of transportation to school, there is no reason they should be out during the day. They should be stored in their lockers. Where are the adminstrators and teachers on duty during lunch. This siutation shouldn’t even be an issue.
Tracy,
I agree it shouldn’t be an issue, but it seems there are more and more issues all the time. ‘m not sure why.I
I can relate. I teach 6th graders and I know what I am enduring on a day-to-day basis. I also know that the level of self-indulgence is probably even greater in high school than it is in middle and elementary schools.
One of the issues has to do with cell phones use and the other with sagging pants. The students know that their cell phones are supposed to left in their lockers. They are well aware that if the cell phone rings in the classroom it will be confiscated and their parents will have to come to the school to retrieve it. They still bring their cell phones into the classroom. At times, the phone would ring in during istructional time. In spite of all that, some parents even side with their children, which make it almost impossible to enforce the rules when the students know that they have their parents support when they misbehave.
At my school, sagging pants is one of the disciplinary issues that we are dealing with the most. Many students think that they are not “cool” unless they pull up their pants for every step they make. It is having a ripple effect on school discipline and students learning across the nation. I am fortunate to have a school principal who stays on top of this situation. The problem could have been exacerbated if was not for the principal’s leadership and commitment to these issues.
Bruce,
Administration needs to support us or else anarchy rules. Luckily, my admin is very supportive, but that doesn’t mean that there are no discipline problems. You can’t take everything to admin.
YOUR FAULT?!?
Excuse me, but you’re RESPONSIBLE for their SAFETY!
Here’s what you did wrong; you didn’t confiscate the skateboards the minute they were being used in class.
I wouldn’t put them behind by desk and say “you’ll get them back after school.” I would say “your parents have to come and get them, or they’ll be given to charity!”
And I’d say it in a stern, “English Schoolmaster” tone of voice.
Bored during lunch? I had the same problem at our high school, so here’s what we did:
We put a ping-pong table in the lunchroom, and we provided educational games, like scrabble, and strategic games, like chess sets, checkers, connect-4, etc. The students could sign them out, and they had a great time.
One teacher wanted to put in a BILLIARD TABLE, but I said NO WAY. Billiards are not for school. A ping-pong table is more appropriate.
Ben,
Thanks for the advice. I’ll suggest that to the administration.
#1 Who cares what some punk 14 year old thinks. It’s not your fault they can’t think of an alternative. It’s their parents’.
#2 A pool table is geometry in action. It’s not inappropriate compared to ping pong… unless there’s beer, naked girl or gambling. Actually, all of those things can be applied to ping pong as well.
Sounds a bit like what we sometimes hear from admin and parents, “”It’s your fault.”
Grady´s last [type] ..HOME, HOME, HOME!!!!